Mounting device for electrical switch

ABSTRACT

A device for holding an electrical switch including an insulating body with at least a pair of oppositely disposed apertures. The device comprises a mounting bracket including at least a pair of projecting members or dimples aligned with the pair of oppositely disposed apertures and a separate resilient spring member of a generally U-shape having a pair of facing leg members. The electrical switch is placed on a platform segment of the mounting bracket with the dimples communicating with the apertures, and the combined switch and bracket assembly is wedged between the leg members of the resilient keeper spring.

United States Patent- 3,027,434 3/1962 Palermo ..200/ 168 K 5/1965 Baumer ..200/l68 B Primary Examiner-H. 0. Jones Atto rney March and Le Fever [57] ABSTRACT F apertures and a separate resilient spring member of a Benoit 1541 MOUNTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH [72] inventor: Roland AQBenoit, Danielson, Conn. [73] Assignee: Interroyal Corporation, New York,

[22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 205,498

[52] US. Cl. ..200/168 R, 200/168 C [51] Int. Cl. ..H0lh 9/08 [58] Field of Search ..200/168 R, 168 B, 168 C, 16 8 K [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 3,159,365 12/1964 Watson "zoo/'16s K 3,532,840 10/1970 Baver ..200/168 C X 3,387,107 6/1968 Di Pilla ..200/168 C generally U-shape having a pair of facing leg members. The electrical switch is placed on a platform segment of the mounting bracket with the dimples communicating with the apertures, and the combined switch and bracket assembly is wedged between the leg members of the resilient keeper spring.

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PATENTEDBEB 1912 INVENTOR. ROLAND A. BENOIT M 1 A TTORNEYS MOUNTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL SWITCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a mounting bracket for an electrical switch and more particularly, to a mounting bracket for a conventional electrical switch enclosed in a plastic type housing or body'being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed apertures.

The electrical contacts of a switch, such as a Microswitch, are frequently enclosed within an insulating housing or body, such as a plastic type material. A pair of electrical terminals, connected to the contacts with the housing, project from one edge of the body and are electrically connected to a circuit, and the con tacts are opened or closed interrupting or completing an electricalcircuit, respectively. Generally, mechanical action is utilized for controlling the positions of the contacts and, as an'example of such a switch, the contact positions are controlled by a projecting actuating member which is mechanically movable and directly coupled to at least one of the switch contacts. An external member, such as an air bellows, abuts against the projecting member, and is capable of opening and closing the switch contacts.

Assembly of such switches on a mounting bracket is difficult due to their small size and light weight. In the usual mounting techniques, the switches frequently fall from the bracket during the assembly procedure. The apertures in the housing receive threaded screw members which align with corresponding apertures in the mounting bracket. The threaded screw or bolt member passes through the apertures in the switch and the mounting bracket with conventional nuts used to securely fasten the switch to the bracket. In addition to the assembly difficulties, this prior art procedure is time-consuming and expensive. Frequently, such assembly procedures, which depend upon manual dexterity, are often faulty with the screw and nut assemblies frequently becoming loose causing the switch to be dislodged.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for mounting an electrical switch in a more simple manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting device which may be used with conventional switches presently found in the art.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting device which securely holds the switch in place on a bracket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which enables the switch to be quickly mounted and firmly held in place without complex manual operations.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a mounting device which is relatively inexpensive and susceptible to mass production.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the above objects are accomplished by providing a device for mounting an electrical switch with a projecting actuating member having at least a pair of oppositely disposed apertures in the body of the switch comprising a mounting bracket including at least a pair of projecting members which align with the pair of oppositely disposed apertures in the body of the switch and a separate resilient keeper spring member of a generally U-shape with a pair of facing leg members, the switch being securely mounted to and held on the bracket when the switch and bracket are wedged between the leg members of the keeper spring.

The bracket is provided with a platform segment upon which rests the switch. After the switch is properly set in place with the apertures in the body aligned with the projecting members of the platform, the switch and platform are forced between the legs of the spring member. The spring member is resilient and maintains a constant holding force on the switch and mounting bracket securely maintaining the switch in place. To further insure against inadvertent dislodging of the switch, the keeper spring is provided with a pair of upstanding teeth members which communicate with and grip the bottom of the platform segment of the mounting bracket.

As a feature of the present invention, the platform is provided with a third projecting member or dimple which forms a pair of oppositely disposed projecting members with one of the first two projecting members or dimples. This allows the switch to be mounted reversibly in either of the two possible assembly configurations.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top flat pattern view of the mounting bracket used with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the switch being mounted to the bracket and including a bellows actuating mechanism.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the mounting device of the present invention illustrating the resilient keeper spring maintaining the switch in a fixed position on a platform segment of the mounting bracket.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the FIGURES, and in particular FIG. 1, the mounting bracket is shown in the flat pattern. The bracket 10 is made of a hard material such as a metal alloy and is provided with an integral body having a projecting ear segment 12 with an aperture 14 therethrough, a base segment 16 having oppositely disposed apertures 18 therethrough and a platform segment 20 having projecting members or dimples 22 projecting upwardly therefrom.

FIGS. 2 and 3 present top and edge views of the mounting bracket 10, resilient keeper spring 24 and switch 26. The switch is of conventional design being provided with a plastic housing or body and a pair of apertures 28 located at opposite corners of the housing. A pair of electrical terminals 30 project from the edge of the switch 26 for connection with suitable electrical circuitry. The switch is further provided with an actuating projecting member 32 projecting from the side of switch 26. The projecting member is movable into and out from the body of the switch causing electrical contact to be made between respective contacts enclosed within the switch body. The switch is further provided with an actuating arm 34 projecting from the side of the body of switch 26. One side of actuating arm 34 abuts actuating member 32 and the other side rests against a bellows assembly 36. The bellows assembly is conventional, and is mounted to a hollow threaded stem 38. The stem communicates with an air tube or pipe 40 which serves as a conduit carrying a fluid such as air for inflating the bellows. The threaded stem 38 communicates with aperture 14 which is also threaded for securely attaching the bellows assembly to the projecting ear segment of the mounting bracket. The bellows abuts against contact arm 34 and when in the deflated position shown in FIG. 2, actuating member 32 is in its outer position. When a fluid pressure is applied through tube 40 and hollow stem 38 to the bellows 36, the bellows inflate pushing contact arm 34 against actuating member 32 moving the switch contacts within the housing.

FIG. 3 presents an end view of the mounting device of the present invention. The switch 26 with the oppositely disposed apertures 28 is aligned with the projecting members or dimples 22 of the platform segment 20. The platform segment is raised above the base member 16 so that contact arm 34 abuts against the bellows 36. When the switch 26 is in place, the keeper spring member 24 is utilized to securely attach the switch on the platform segment of the mounting bracket. The keeper spring is a resilient member of a generally U-shape having oppositely disposed leg members 42 and 44. Upper leg member 42 terminates in an upward bend 46 to assist the manipulation of the keeper spring. Bottom leg member 44 is provided with upstanding teeth members 48 which grip the bottom of platform segment 20 insuring a firm grasp between the keeper spring member 24 and the switch and platforms 26 and 20 respectively. Thus the switch is simply and effectively secured to the mounting bracket by wedging or placing the switch body and platform between the leg members of the spring member.

The resilient spring member 24 is provided with a plastic coating, such as a vinyl coating, to provide a long life for the resilient spring member and prevent cuts or nicks to the fingers as the spring member is forced into position. The sharp edges of the spring member thus are covered by the coating to eliminate sharp edges.

As a feature of the present invention, the platform 20 is provided with three projecting members or dimples 22 symmetrically arranged so that the convention switch 26 can be placed between upper and middle or middle and lower dimples 22 enabling the switch to be reversibly mounted on bracket 10.

It may thus be seen that the present device provides a simple, yet effective, mounting assembly for a conventional electrical switch. The disadvantages and problems with the prior art screw and nut assemblies have been avoided with the present invention. The mounting bracket and keeper spring are susceptible of mass production, thereby minimizing their cost.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above method and apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lclaim:

l. A device for mounting an electrical switch having a body and oppositely disposed apertures in said body and an actuating member for opening and closing contacts enclosed within said body comprising a mounting bracket including a platform segment, said platform segment including at least a pair of oppositely disposed dimples, said oppositely disposed dimples aligning with said oppositely disposed apertures in the body of said electrical switch and a separate resilient keeper spring member of a generally U-shape having a pair of oppositely disposed leg members, said electrical switch being placed on said platform segment with respective ones of said apertures aligning with respective ones of said dimples and being fixedly held thereon by wedging said electrical switch and said platform segment between said leg members.

2. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 1, wherein said platform segment includes at least an additional dimple forming another pair of oppositely disposed dimples with one of said pair of dimples.

3. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 1, wherein said keeper spring member is provided with a plastic coating.

4. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said leg members terminates in an upward bend for facilitating the placement of the electrical switch and platform segment between said leg members.

5. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said leg members includes teeth for gripping said platform segment. 

1. A device for mounting an electrical switch having a body and oppositely disposed apertures in said body and an actuating member for opening and closing contacts enclosed within said body comprising a mounting bracket including a platform segment, said platform segment including at least a pair of oppositely disposed dimples, said oppositely disposed dimples aligning with said oppositely disposed apertures in the body of said electrical switch and a separate resilient keeper spring member of a generally U-shape having a pair of oppositely disposed leg members, said electrical switch being placed on said platform segment with respective ones of said apertures aligning with respective ones of said dimples and being fixedly held thereon by wedging said electrical switch and said platform segment between said leg members.
 2. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 1, wherein said platform segment includes at least an additional dimple forming another pair of oppositely disposed dimples with one of said pair of dimples.
 3. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 1, wherein said keeper spring member is provided with a plAstic coating.
 4. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said leg members terminates in an upward bend for facilitating the placement of the electrical switch and platform segment between said leg members.
 5. A device for mounting an electrical switch as set forth in claim 3, wherein one of said leg members includes teeth for gripping said platform segment. 